Sam's previous behaviour Memory Hack record reads like a horror story -- daily tales of violence, aggression, language to shame and confrontation. He also regularly absconded from school, screaming and shouting. Sam generally caused mayhem wherever he went. He spent most of his time in school under a table, shouting abuse. He was frequently taken away from his class. But, getting him out of the class was like a circus -- arms and legs flying everywhere. 'We take him out to calm down,' the exhausted adults would say.But had the drugs made any difference to his behaviour? Not in the slightest. In fact of all the children I've had in my classes there's only 1 who I could say was impacted positively by the prescribed drugs. Almost 100% of the children on medication did not benefit in any way by being on daily drugs. That is appalling!

If you were prescribed medication but there was no improvement in the diagnosed condition would you continue to take the drugs? I think I'd be asking questions about why very potent drugs didn't seem to be making any difference... But this is a major part of the problem with behaviour problems -- people don't seem to know what the answer is.But I do know the answer... and it impacts positively on these poor children time and time again. By adults using effective behaviour management strategies with total consistency these children can be managed very successfully. When Sam's parents warned me prior to him starting in my classes that at about 11am his medication would start to wear off and trouble would start.

So what happened when he started -- particularly at the 11am 'witching hour'? I hope I don't disappoint you, but absolutely nothing happened!On one occasion I kept Sam back in my class until after 2pm because he'd decided working wasn't on his agenda that morning -- still nothing happened. He should have gone to school and had his 2nd daily dose of medication at noon! So more than 3 hours after the witching hour, without a second dose of the 'chemical cosh' and still Sam wasn't kicking off and losing the plot -- he was absolutely fine and did his work without a problem. So his concentration didn't deteriorate either.'But the medication would still have been in system,' people argue. 'But it would have still have been in his system on previous occasions at 11am when he frequently started his antics,' I argue back...

Probably, if I'd have acted as though something should happen at 11am then Sam would have obliged and 'kicked off'. A self fulfilling prophecy if ever there was one! So why hadn't it all gone wrong? How did 11am come and go without Sam reverting to appalling behaviour? Because of the behaviour management strategies I use and in which I have total confidence. There's no magic involved -- anybody can learn to do it. You just have to know the strategies, practise them and then use them consistently.When I compare Sam when he started with me with how he is now there are major differences. Although there were none of the outbursts with me that he displayed at school, even at the start, it was obvious that Sam was an anxious and unhappy little boy. He used to pick at his skin continually. His arms and hands regularly bled. He didn't like to mix or play with the other children. He didn't seem know how to.